The U.S. FDA approval of Johnson & Johnson’s Imaavy (nipocalimab-aahu) for myasthenia gravis brings the monoclonal antibody into a treatment space that teems with competition, both approved and in-development candidates. The human Fc receptor inhibitor was approved to treat generalized myasthenia gravis in patients who are 12 years and older. Patients must be anti-acetylcholine receptor [AChR] or anti-muscle-specific kinase [MuSK] antibody positive. Anti-AChR and anti-MuSK antibody-positive individuals make up more than 90% of all antibody-positive gMG patients.

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved 18 biosimilar products in 2024, making it a record year for domestic biosimilar approvals since the agency’s first nod of Celltrion Inc.’s Remsima, a reference product of Remicade (infliximab), in 2012.

If the April 30 hearing on biomedical research before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee is any indication, the Trump administration could face a big challenge if it tries to cut more than 40% of the NIH’s budget in fiscal 2026 as proposed and slap a 15% cap on indirect costs.

Unravel Biosciences Inc. has submitted clinical study applications in Colombia seeking to begin proof-of-concept clinical trials for RVL-001 for Rett syndrome and Pitt-Hopkins syndrome.

Barely a year after the U.S. FDA shackled Abeona Therapeutics Inc.’s cell-based gene therapy with a complete response letter, the agency has approved it for treating a rare and genetic skin disease. Zevaskyn (prademagene zamikeracel), for treating wounds in adult and pediatric patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, will be priced in the U.S. at $3.1 million.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will hold an advisory meeting regarding devices for treatment of symptoms for Parkinson’s disease, but the agency indicated that it expects to see longer-term data for these treatments if manufacturers want Medicare coverage.

Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. is the latest mainland China pharmaceutical company to seek a capital raise on the Hong Kong stock exchange, winning clearance April 28 from the China Securities Regulatory Commission to float new H-shares.

The U.S. FDA issued a complete response letter (CRL) to Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. for its NDA for glioma imaging agent, TLX-101-CDx (floretyrosine F18 or 18F-FET, Pixclara), citing the need for additional confirmatory clinical evidence.

Europe was a bigger counterpart to China in pharmaceutical dealmaking than the U.S. last year, speakers at Chinabio Partnering Forum said April 23, and the trend is likely to continue in 2025 with the shuttering of U.S. capital and volatility ailing global markets.

The intriguing VEGFxPD-1 bispecific antibody space gained oomph with phase III results disclosed April 23 by Akeso Pharmaceuticals Inc. related to Harmoni-6, testing ivonescimab in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy compared with Tevimbra (tislelizumab, Beigene Ltd.), a PD-1 inhibitor also paired with platinum-based chemo in patients with locally advanced or metastatic squamous non-small-cell lung cancer irrespective of PD-L1 expression. Those data were followed by a green light from the U.S. FDA April 24 for marketing the PD-1 monoclonal antibody penpulimab in combination with cisplatin or carboplatin and gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of adult recurrent or metastatic non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma.